Large Multinational Corporation Invests in Taiwan with Licensed Technology Transfer

2014-04-22

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Hwang-Jaw Lee, PhD

Board Director, Taiwan Flowers Development Association

Following the signing of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Council of Agriculture (COA), the Germany-based world's fourth-largest supplier of avian vaccines Lohmann Animal Health GmbH & Co. KG signed the Mycoplasma Subunit Vaccine Technology Licensing Agreement on Dec. 27, 2013 with Animal Technology Institute Taiwan (ATIT). This would be the company's first animal vaccine technology licensing to Taiwan, and it is also the highest in contract value thus far in the country, showing that the nation’s animal vaccine R&D is competitive and has reached international standards.

The COA indicated that the ATIT is the only R&D institution in the country which obtained many patents regarding mycoplasma hyopneumoniae vaccine. Supported by the COA in recent years, the institute has been conducting researches funded by the COA, National Science Council (NSC), and National Science and Technology Development Fund. For the first time in the world, the ATIT has successfully developed the swine mycoplasma pneumonia sub unit vaccine employing reverse vaccinology, which greatly reduces production time and cost as opposed to traditional inactivated vaccine production method. This caught the attention of Lohmann Animal Health, which goes well with the company's corporate motto of "prevention first". The vaccine will become one of its flagship products in the field of swine vaccine.

The COA further stated that the ATIT has invested many years of research time into animal vaccine development, and has achieved unique accomplishments in mycoplasma pneumonia. The institute had formed a partnership to develop, manufacture and market a one-shot mycoplasma hyopneumoniae vaccine, proving that Taiwan's animal vaccine R&D ability has reached international standards. The alliance between ATIT and Lohmann Animal Health shows once again that Taiwan's R&D capability constitutes as an investment incentive for international corporations. In the long run, this partnership will catch the attention of more large global animal vaccine corporations, and at the same time create more domestic demand for technical manpower. It will also bring prosperity to animal vaccine related industries, such as test kits, vaccine adjuvants, and SPF eggs. Taiwan's animal vaccine products will enter the international market in the near future.